It’s the news that literally no one – and we mean no one – saw coming. Serj Tankian, iconic frontman of everyone’s fave 00s metallers System of a Down, just debuted his latest project: a musical backpack. 

The limited edition ‘backpack with its own song’ fuses art, technology, and music, according to accessories label HEX, who Tankian teamed up with to bring this extraordinary gift to the world. Sadly, if like us you immediately envisaged storming down the street blasting “Chop Suey!” from something that sits somewhere between boombox and backpack, you’re about to be sorely disappointed. 

Instead, those that buy the bag will be invited to download an AR app which offers exclusive access to original artwork and unreleased tracks by Tankian. The good news, though, is that it has a shitload of pockets for tablets, earbuds, and ‘all the other tools of the music trade’, and is essentially a big fuck you to the tiny bag trend, which should surely be over by now anyway? 

But what does the man himself, Serj Tankian, have to say about the project? “I like the idea of listening to physical objects and having a musical score to them. It’s just a new and interesting thing that I’ve been working on,” he explains in the musical backpack’s accompanying press release, before adding “We don’t need to put categories on ourselves as human beings. I think that’s ridiculous… When you wake up and you’re excited about something, do it. That’s what you need to do.” So there you go.